Fire-escape



4 Sheets8heet 1. J. M. GLENN. FIRE ESCAPE.

(No Model.)

No. 407,196. Patented July 16, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet. 2.

J. M. GLENN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 407,196. Patented July 16, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-8heet 3. J. M. GLENN.

FIRE ESCAPE.

No. 407,196. Patented July 16, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

J. M. GLENN.

FIRE ESCAPE. No. 407,196. Patented July 16, 1889.

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JAMES M. GLENN, OF CINCINNATI, OIIIO.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 407,196, dated July 16,1889.

Application filed June 4, 1888. Serial No. 276,003. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES M. GLENN, aeiti- Zen of the United States,residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes for buildings; andit has for its object the improvement of the construction and mode ofoperation of such escapes. Its novelty will be herein set forth, andspecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1, Sheet 1, is a front elevation ofa building, showing the application of my improved fireescape. Fig. 2,Sheet 2, is a front elevation of the apparatus constituting the escape.Fig. 3, Sheet 2, is a side elevation of the same,with the upper part ofthe wall of the building in section. Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, Sheets and4:, are details of modifications, to be referred to hereinafter. Fig. 9,Sheet 4, is aplan view of a building, showing the application of therail.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate identical parts inall the figures.

My invention has for its object, primarily, the securing of a permanentrail or way to the wall of a building above the upper windows andpreferably just below the cornice, upon which is a traveling frame orcarrier, to which is permanently or adj ustably connected a flexibleladder in such manner that the ladder can be shifted from one verticalrow of windows to another clear across the building and around it if itbe isolated or on a corner.

One way of constructing and applying the rail is shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3,and 9, where the rail A is a T-beam bolted at suitable intervals tobrackets builtinto and projecting from the wall, and each of which isconstructed of an upper horizontal I-beam B, extending through the wall,a lower beam G likewise extending through the wall, and an outer brace Dand inner brace or strap E, all firmly bolted or riveted together, asshown. Other forms of brackets may be used if desired, and the shape of,the rail A is immaterial so long as it affords a bearing for theroller-frame to travel on. The roller-frame F is in this instance ametal bar, with its ends so bent as to form bearings for the two groovedrollers a, which are journaled therein and bear upon the upper and loweredges of the rail A, as shown. Secured to the frameF,preferablycoincident with the spindle of the upper roller a, is theframe to which the hoisting and lowering devices are" attached, andconsisting of the two arms 7), of the shape shown, between the lowerends of which a reel G, carrying wound upon it a rope or wire cableladder II, is journaled. The projecting end or ends of the rcel-spindleare shaped, as at c, to receive a crank or cranks for turning the reelto wind up the ladder. The ladder II has its upper end tightly securedto the reel, and it is of sufficient length when unwound to reach theground. For greater strength and rigidity, I propose to use four ropes,chains, or cables in the construction of the ladder.

J ournaled between the arms I), just above the reel G, is a drum I withflanged ends, around which one or more endless ropes or wire cables Jextend and reach to the ground, for a purpose to be presently explained.The arms Z) are bent in, as at d, Fig. 3, to bring the spindles of thedrum and reel directly under the rollers a, and thereby preventtorsional strain upon the rail A, and a bar K is secured to the arms I),justabove the drum, to serve as a brace and to prevent the rope or ropesJ from slipping off the drum.

hen not in use, the ladder H is rolled up upon the reel G, and the ropeJ, which hangs down, is connected by a hook or any other suitable meansto the free end of the ladder. \Vhen it is desired to use the escape,the rope J is caught and the ladder pulled down and run along thebuilding on the rail A to the row of windows desired, where its lowerend is held or secured in any suitable manner. After being used at onerow of windows it may be shifted to the next, and so on across thebuilding, and, as seen in Figs. 1 and 9, around its sides, if desired.In this way I apply to a building a permanent escape-ladder, which isnormally rolled up and out of the way, but which'can be instantlybrought into position for use and can be shifted to any part of thebuilding desired.

Where it is desired that the fire-companies should carry the ladder withthem, the modifications illustrated in Figs. 4:, 5, (5, 7, and 8 may beemployed. In such case the arms 22, secured to the roller-frame, areprovided with two lower cross-bars e and f, to the former of which isconnected a sheave K, over which the rope J is passed and one portion ofwhich extends through a central aperture in the bar f, which may bedoubled and bent out, as at g, on each side to form said aperture. Theladder and drum frame L in this case is similar in construction to theone before described, and the bar G is revoluble'in its bearings toconstitute a reel on which the ladder can be wound when not in use, andthe only difference is that it has at its top a tube M, Figs. 7 and 8,upon which are two sliding conical pieces h 2', separated by a collar jupon the tube M and with their large ends facing each other. Asecondcollar is secured upon the tube above the piece h, which latter normallyrests upon the collarj. The rope J, connected at its two ends bysnap-hooks Z, is passed through the tube M, and is provided with aremovable button m, which engages with a ring n, secured upon the innerside of the tube at its top, Fig. 7, and by this means the apparatus ishoisted until the tube and piece It have been drawn through the aperturein the barf, where two spring or gravitating dogs 0 are pivoted, as atp, and are provided with engaging shoulders g, which catch under thelower edge of the piece h, as seen in Figs.

4 and 8. In this way the drum and ladderframe can be hoisted andconnected to the roller-frame and the device be operated as beforedescribed. To release the drum and ladder-frame from the roller-framefrom the ground and by means of the rope J, it is only necessary toremove the button m and apply to the rope a larger button r, Fig. 8,which, when drawn up, engages with a rings, secured within the tube M tothe piece i by means of pins 15, passed through vertical slots in thetube. By this engagement the piece 7; is drawn up on the tube M untilits flaring end strikes the under inclined sides of the dogs 0 andpushes them back, thereby releasing the piece h, which at once dropsupon the collar j, and the whole apparatus can be then lowered, as willbe readily understood. As a modification of this'latter construction,that shown .in Fig. 6 may be employed, where the piece i is fast to thetube M, the collar j dispensed with, and the ring it connected to thepiece h by pins passed through slots in the tube, as before described.In this case to release the dogs the button 7' engages directly With thebottom of the tube, as shown by the dotted lines, Fig. 6.

For the purpose of lowering helpless persons, I have provided a basketN, Figs. 4 and 5, of any suitable construction, but preferably of wovenwire, with bottom springs u, which basket is guided upon the ladder H byrear staples v, and which is operated from below by two ropes O P,passed over the drum I, and connected to the two arms of a bell-crank Q,pivoted to the back of the basket at its middle. The rope P is thehoisting and lowering rope for the basket, while the rope O is atripping-rope for causing the bell-crank to be tilted to bring the hookw at its back over a rung of the ladderas, for instance, when it isdesired to fasten the basket to the ladder at a window in order to placethe helpless person therein. The springs u are to lessen the shockshould the basket strike the ground harder than intended.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In-a fire-escapeapparatus, the combination, with a rail secured to a building, of aroller-frame engaged thereby, a frame provided with a reel carrying aladder, and a drum carrying one or more endless ropes and secured tosaid roller-frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination, with a rail secured to abuilding and a roller-frame engaged thereby, of an attachingframesecured to said roller-frame and provided with engaging-dogs andcarrying an endless rope, and a ladder-frame adapted to be hoisted frombelow by said rope and be automatically secured to said attaching-frame, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a fire-escape apparatus, the combination, with the attaching-frameprovided with the dogs 0, of the ladder-frame having the tube M,provided with the collars j k, and carrying the sliding conical pieces hi, substantially in the manner and for the purpose specified.

JAS. M. GLENN. Witnesses:

EDWARD W. REoToR, CHARLES BILLOU.

